Wheel trim



NQV. 19, g Q A LYQN 2,43%352@ WHEEL TRIM Original Filed Jan. 20, 1940 2 Sheets-Shes?l 1 Patented Nov. 19, 1946 WHEEL TRIM George Albert Lyon, Allenhurst, N. J.

Original application J anu 314,818, now Patent N Divided and 2, 194.2, Serial No. 449,39

3 Claims. l

This invention relates to a wheel trim and more particularly to a wheel trim which may be resiliently snapped into substantially permanent engagement with a wheel. This application is a division of my copending application, Serial Number 314,818, entitled "Method of making wheel trim, filed January 20, 1940.

'I'he majority of vehicle wheels of today are equipped with ornamental trim members including a trim ring or annulus which is substantially permanently attached to the wheel, These trim rings are usually formed with a highly polished exterior surface and for that reason relatively expensive metal is necessary in their manufacture. In order to reduce manufacturing costs to a minimum, it is desirable to manufacture these trim rings from extremely thin metal stock. The thickness dimension or `gauge of the stock employed is governed to a large extent by the nature and character of the attaching means which is formed on the wheel trim for attaching the wheel trim to the wheel.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel wheel trim which is secured to a wheel in a novel manner and which is manufactured from relatively thin metal stock by a novel method.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wheel trim or trim ring having a plurality of novel attaching fingers thereon.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a wheel trim or trim ring having integral attaching lingers thereon which are cold worked in a novel manner to increase their stiffness and strength.

Another and further object of the present invention is to provide a novel apparatus for form-- ing wheel trim or trim rings of very thin sheet metal stock.

One of the principal features of the present invention is the provision of a trim ring having integral attaching fingers thereon which ngers are cold worked in novel apparatus in which they are pushed clear through the forming die which shapes the trim ring to its desired configuration over a zig-zag or tortuous path.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My invention itself, however, bothl as to its organization and manner of construction, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

ary 20, 1940, Serial No. o.

2,316,346, dated April this application July Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a vehicle wheel and trim wheel assembly, with a portion of the trim ring broken away to illustrate the portion of the wheel to which the trim ring is attached;

Figure 2 is a partial vertical sectional view of the trim ring and wheel assembly taken along the line II-II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the manner in which the trim ring is attached to the wheel;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional rear view showing the manner in which the attaching means on the trim ring engages the wheel;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary Isectional view similar to Figure 3 showing a different embodiment of the present invention;

Figures 6 and 7 are fragmentary sectional views of a die press illustrating the novel manner which the trim ring is formed; and

Figure 8 illustrates the manner in which an annulus having projecting arms is blanked from a at sheet of metal stock.

Referring now to the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, there is shown a trim ring and wheelY assembly comprising a vehicle wheel iii and a trim ring l l. The wheel Il] comprises a rim part i2 and a body part i3, The rim I2 is of the usual drop center type and includes a base iange i 4, opposite intermediate side flanges I5, opposite inter-mediate base flanges I6 and opposite edge portions il. The drop center rim I2 as illustrated is of the type commonly employed in the automotive vehicle art of the4 present day, and, as is well known to those skilled in the art, is arranged to receive i and accommodate a pneumatic tire (not shown).

The body part I3 of the wheel iii includes, in general, a rearwardly extending outer `flange i8, outer web portion I9, a generally axially rearwardly and slightly radially inwardly extending inner web portion 29, and a radially inwardly extending wheel mounting flange 2i. The rearwardly extending outer flange l 8 is secured to the underside of the base iiange I4 of the rim i2 in any suitable manner, such as by welding or riveting (not shown). The circumferentially spaced portions of the flange I8 are depressed radially inwardly as at 22 to permit circulation of air through the wheel. The rear edges 23 of the depressed pertion 22 are cut back as is clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawings.

The wheel mounting flange 2| is provided with an annular series of apertures 24 for the reception of the usual wheel mounting bolts (not shown), which bolts are arranged to extend therethrough and to engagement with the hub portion or brake drum of the vehicle (not shown).

The trim ring I I includes a principal body portion 26 which is disposed on the front face of the wheel IG to conceal the junction of the wheel body part I3 and the rim I2. rIhe trim ring il also includes a plurality of attaching arms 21 which extend first radially inwardly as at 28 then axially rearwardly as at 29 along the radially inner portion or face of the rim I2. The arms 21 terminate in a pair of attaching nngers 30 which extend obliquely radially inwardly and axially forwardly into biting engagement with the depressed portion 22 of the wheel I0. The radial inner edge 3l of the trim ring II is seated on the body part I3 of the wheel Iii while the radial outer extremity of the trim ring II is bent back on itself as at 32 and is seated on the intermediate side flange i of the rim I2.

When the trim ring I I is mounted on the wheel II) the arms 21 are lined up with the openings formed by the depressed portions 22, and the trim ring II is then moved axially rearwardly of the wheel until the arms 21 slide into the openings formed by the depressed portions 22. As the arms 21 slide into these openings the axially rearwardly extending portion 29 of the arms 21 telescope with the base flange i4 of the rim I2 while the tips or radial inner extremities of the fingers 30 ride along the face of the depressed portion 2'2. The trim ring il is pushed axially rearwardly until the radial inner edge 3l and the turned portion 32 are seated on the f body part I3 and the rim I2 respectively. Due to the angular position of the fingers 33 the radial inner extremities thereof make a biting engagement with the depressed portion 22 of the wheel Ill. Any tendency for the trim ring II to become dislodged from the wheel It only causes the finger portions 30 of the arms 21 to bite deeper into the depressed portions 22 of the wheel I0. It must be understood that a very tight and substantially permanent engagement is provided for securing the trim ring II to the wheel I0.

In Figure 5 of the drawings l' have illustrated a modified form of trim ring II for concealing the junction point of the body part i3 of the wheel i3 with the rim I2. More specifically, the trim ring I I of Figure 5 includes a principal body portion 33 which is of curved or arcuate crosssection and which is provided with a radial inner edge 35i seated on the body part I3 of the wheel IG and a radial outer portion 35 which is disposed substantially opposite the radial inner surface of the base ange I4 of the rim I2. A plurality of integral attaching arms are provided for the trim ring I I of Figure 5 which extend axially inwardly from the radial outer portion 35 for telescoping engagement with the base flange I4 of the rim I2 and which terminate in an obliquely radially inwardly and axially forwardly extending tip portion 31. The tip portion 31 is disposed at such an angle as to make a biting engagement with the depressed portion 22 of the wheel I3. The trim ring II of Figure 5 is mounted on the wheel I6 in the same manner as that described in connection with Figures 1 to 4.

In connection with the description of the mounting of the trim ring I I of Figure 5 as well as of the mounting of the trim ring I l of Figures l to 4 it will be observed that due to the fact that the obliquely extending tip portions 31 and 3D respectively extend between two opposed faces a strut action is obtained which provides a very tight biting engagement. That is to say, due to the fact that the radial inner face of the base portion Id of the rim l2 is opposite and opposed to the radial outer face of the depressed portion 22 there can be no radial outer flexing of the axially rearwardly projecting attaching arms. Furthermore, it will be seen that due to the yield- .ability of the eurvate body portions 26 and 33 and the gripping engagement of edges 3| and 34 respectively with the surface of the body part I3, the trim ring I I may be sprung upwardly and outwardly to augment the biting action oftips 3S and 31 respectively into the respective flanges I8.

The novel apparatus for increasing the strength in the attaching arms is illustrated in Figures S, 7, and 8. More particularly, a portion of the die press is shown which includes the lower die part 33 in the form of an upstanding ring, a reciprocab-le lower die pad 33 which is mounted within the lower die ring 38, an upper die part 43 having a depending die ring 4I, and an outer upper die ring i2 which is disposed around the die ring 4I and arranged for relative reciprocation with respect thereto. The lower face 43 of the upper die ring 4I and the confronting face portion 4d of the die pad 39 are arcuateiy curved in cross-section to give the desired configuration to the principal body portion 23 of the trim ring il shown in Figures 1 to 4. Lower die ring 33 and upper die ring 42 form the hold-down portion of the die press and their confronting faces are annularly corrugated as is indicated at 45 and 43 respectively. The reciprocable die pad 39 is spring biased upwardly with respect to the surrounding lower die ring 38 by means of suitable compression spring 41. The upper outer die ring i2 is spring biased downwardly with respect to the inner die ring portion @I by means of suitable compression springs 48.

To form the trim ring l! shown in Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings a flat sheet of relatively thin metal stock i3 is blanked to form a fiat annulus 53 having four projecting arms 5l'. The central portion 52 of the blank i3 may be used to form a hub cap or wheel disk or any other suitable article. The annulus 5E! having the projecting arms 5i is then placed in the die press whichis illustrated in Figure 6, the dimensions of the relative die parts being such that the projecting arms 5l of the annulus 53 extend between the hold-down parts 33 and d2 and the principal Y body portion o-f the annulus is disposed between the confronting faces d3 and 44 of the die parts 4l and 39 respectively. The upper die member iii is then lowered and as the outer upper die ring d2 forces the arms 5i against the lower die ring 33 the arms 5i are given a tortuous crosssectional configuration due to the corrugations 43 and it in the confronting faces of Vthe lower and upper die rings 33 and d2 respectively. As the inner upper die ring il forces the principal body portion of the annulus 53 against the lower die part 39 this action gives the principal body portion of the annulus 53 the desired configuration of the principal 1cody part 22B of the trim ring I i as shown in Figures 1 to 4.

The downward movement of the upper die member ed is not halted at this point but is continued until the projecting arms 5I are completely drawn throughthe lower and upper die rings 33 and 42 respectively as is shown in Figure '7. The drawing or pulling of the arms 5I through the die parts 38 and 42 causes the arms 5| to move along a tortuous path and this movement causes a cold working of the metal in the projecting arms 5| which greatly increases their hardness and strength.

The act of drawing the metal in the projecting arms 5| over a tortuous path in the die press has the eiect of providing a series of reversals of strain of the metal in the projecting arms 5| beyond the elastic limit. This of course is due to the fact that the corrugated curvature initially given the projecting arms 5| is caused to reverse as the arms are pulled over the corrugation. As will be fully understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art, this novel apparatus for working the projecting arms 5| provides a cold working of the metal without any substantial change in the gauge of the metal. It will thus be` understood that a cold working of the metal is obtained quickly, efficiently, and without any substantial loss of thickness in the metal. The cold working greatly increases the strength of the metal and thereby enables the use of very thin sheet metal stock in forming the trim rings Il.

After the various die parts have been moved to the position as shown in Figure 7 the upper die member 4|) is retracted and the annulus 50 is lifted out. 'Ihe arms 5| are thereafter bent into the shape shown in Figures 2 and 3 to form the arms 21 of the trim ring While I have shown particular embodiments of my invention, it will, of course, be understood that I do not wish to fbe limited thereto, since many modifications may be made, and I, therefore, contemplate by the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A trim ring for attachment to a wheel having a rim part and a body part secured concentrically against the inner surface of the rim part, said body part having circumferentially spaced, depressed portions at the edge thereof r adjacent said rim part and having axially inwardly disposed iianges bordering said depressed portions, said trim ring including an annular part arranged to cover a portion of the wheel and retaining means for securing the same to the wheel, said retaining means including a plurality of radially inwardly, axially outwardly disposed lingers arranged for engagement with the adjacent flange of the body part when wedgingly engaged into a respective opening defined by a depressed portion of the body part, said annular part of the ring having an intermediate circular shoulder portion arranged to supportingly shoulder against an adjacent portion of the outer surface of the wheel when the ngers are wedged into the wheel opening.

2. The trim ring of claim 1 further characterized by each of the fingers having its free extremity bifurcated to provide the n'ger with a multiple of gripping points.

3. A trim ring for attachment to a Wheel having a rim part and a body part secured 'concentrically against the inner surface of the rim part, said body part having circumferentially spaced, depressed portions at the edge thereof dening openings adjacent said rim part and having axially inwardly disposed flanges bordering said depressed portions, said trim ring including an annular radially inwardly extending part arranged to cover a portion of the Wheel including said openings and retaining means for securing the same to the wheel, said retaining means including a plurality of generally radially inclined ngers each arranged for gripping engagement with the adjacent ilange of the body part when wedgingly engaged in one of said openings, said annular part of the ring concealing said fingers and having a radially outer turned portion connected to said lingers and arranged to supportingly bear against an adjacent portion of the outer surface of the wheel when the fingers are wedged in said wheel openings.

GEORGE vALBIiiRl" LYON. 

